PROMOTING FISH RECOVERY IN THE KARABURUN – SAZAN MARINE PROTECTED AREA

Between January and June 2016 the Albanian Association for Protection of Aquatic Wildlife of Albania (APAWA) and MedReAct carried out the Project “Promoting fish recovery in the Karaburun – Sazan MPA” with financial support from the Waitt Foundation, .

The Project’s overall objective was to raise public and decision-makers’ awareness on the need to enforce marine conservation measures in Albania, provide for the recovery of depleted fish stocks and promote sustainable fisheries, in particular by:

• exposing the state of fish communities in the Karaburun-Sazan MPA, assessed by the Waitt marine expedition in Albania in 2015;
• disseminating the Waitt expedition findings to decision-makers, local fishing communities, scientists, NGOs, EU institutions in Albania and the local media;
• engaging with stakeholders and authorities to ensure fisheries enforcement in the MPA; and
• sharing the results from an Italian no-take area to provide Albanian fishermen and fisheries managers with an example of best fishing practice.

The Project engaged with the Vlora fishermen community and other relevant institutions such as the General Fisheries Directorate of the Ministry of Agriculture, the national and local branch of the Agency of Protected Areas, the Vlora Fisheries Inspectorate, the Ministry of Environment, the University of Vlora, the Agricultural University of Tirana, environmental NGOs and experts on fisheries and marine environment.

Download the final report: Promoting fish recovery in the Karaburun – Sazan Marine Protected Area (MPA).